It seemed like the 2026 World Cup final was going to feature England after they held the lead late in the second half, but Argentina completed another comeback to earn a 2-1 victory. After the loss, Harry Kane described his emotions.
Kane said: “We played a good game the large majority of it. When we went 1-0 up we seemed to try and hold on, which at this level is not enough. So, just gutted because we’ve worked so hard to be here and the lads have given every last bit of running, blood, sweat, tears. To fall short is just gutting.”
The forward was not a major factor in the semifinal even if he was were the leader of a team that missed out on reaching its second World Cup final after a 60-year wait. For Kane, it was a fantastic tournament individually, but he was unable to lift the trophy despite being so close.
Kane on England’s World Cup performance
What should not be overlooked is that England are getting closer. Kane said: “We had a lot of good moments at this tournament, a lot of good games and another semi-final. We talk about knocking on the door, we’re close, we just need to find that missing piece late in the tournament.”
England had very good performances (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
In the post-match interview, the forward praised how the team worked together during the more than one month they spent together, a period in which England were expected to at least reach the later stages of the competition.
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Kane said: “These tournaments take it out of you with so much effort, pressure and mentality. We’ve shown that throughout the six or seven weeks we’ve been together but we’re just missing that final piece.”
Kane on what did not work
During the match, England had a solid performance and even took the lead through Anthony Gordon early in the second half. The advantage seemed important until the team struggled to keep possession.
Kane said: “After the goal, whether it was them putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man for man, it was just wave after wave. Lads were putting blocks in but, in the end, it just wasn’t enough.”
